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San Diego County sailors among seven dead in USS Fitzgerald collision

SAN DIEGO (CNS) - Two local men were among the seven Navy sailors killed Friday when the USS Fitzgerald crashed with the Philippine merchant ship ACXCrystal off the coast of Japan, the Navy announced Sunday.

Yeoman 3rd Class Shingo Alexander Douglass, 25, of San Diego, and Fire Controlman 2nd Class Carlos Victor Ganzon Sibayan, 23, from Chula Vista, wereidentified as two of the victims. They were trapped with five others in a flooded berthing compartment after the crash about 56 nautical miles off the coast of Honshu, Japan.

``We are all deeply saddened by the tragic loss of our fellow shipmates as a result of Friday's collision between USS Fitzgerald and a commercial container ship, and our thoughts and prayers are with their families,'' acting Secretary of the Navy Sean Stackley said in a statement. ``The Navy family comes together during tragic events such as this and I want to thank those whocontinue to provide around-the-clock assistance to the affected families duringthese difficult days.''

The family of Douglass issued the following statement about the loss of their beloved and asked for privacy as their grieve the loss of their son:

"We would like to thank the San Diego, Navy/Marine Corps, and Japanese communities for the outpouring of prayers and support we've received the past few days. You've made a difficult time a little bit easier. Shingo was a loving and loved son, brother, grandson and friend. He loved the Navy and was very proud to be part of the USS Fitzgerald crew. He felt a very strong bond with his Fitzgerald shipmates. Shingo was an adventurous young man. He loved to travel, was a certified scuba diver and a Black Belt in karate, and played tennis. He was also an avid gamer, studied computer game design, and loved to attend Comic Con. He was very proud of both his Japanese and military family background. Shingo was born at the naval hospital in Okinawa and spent many summers as a boy in Japan, learning to speak fluent Japanese. He was thrilled to return in 2014, reporting for duty to USS Fitzgerald. Shingo served his Nation proudly, and we are also very proud of him and his service. We loved him very much and his parents and younger brother will miss him more than words can express. We would also like to commend the crew of USS Fitzgerald for the heroic efforts to save the ship and many lives. We know now why Shingo was proud to serve with you."

Douglass graduated from Fallbrook High School in 2010.

"Every former student has made an impact on Fallbrook High School and its community in some way, especially those who have served in our armed forces. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and the rest of the families who lost loved ones in this tragedy," principal Larry Boone told 10News reporter Mimi Elkalla.

The bodies were taken to Naval Hospital Yokosuka were they were identified andfamily notifications were made.

``Our deepest sympathies are with the families of these sailors,'' U.S. 7th Fleet Commander Vice Adm. Joseph Aucoin said during a press conferenceSunday. ``Their loved ones are what makes this Navy great, so this lossis something we all do feel ... Unfortunately we don't have the details regarding the conditions during their final moments, but hope that the investigation may shed some light on that matter.''

Three others aboard the ship were injured in the collision, including the Fitzgerald's commanding officer, Cmdr. Bryce Benson, who was trapped in hiscabin after it took a direct hit. Benson and two sailors with minor injurieswere evacuated on Japanese Coast Guard helicopters to Naval Hospital Yokosuka. All three were alert, according to Aucoin.

The Fitzgerald made its way to port Saturday night under its own power.

``As details emerge, we can all be proud of the heroic effort by the crew to tend to the needs of those injured and save the ship from further damage while returning safely to port,'' Stackley said.

Both the acting Navy secretary and the vice admiral said attention will now turn to investigating what caused the collision, with the US Coast Guard tasked with leading the probe.

``In due time, the United States Navy will fully investigate the cause of this tragedy,'' Stackely said. ``I ask all of you to keep the Fitzgerald families in your thoughts and prayers as we begin the task of answering themany questions before us.''

A memorial for the victims will take place Monday night at the base chapel in Guam, according to the Navy.

Copyright 2017 Scripps Media, Inc. City News Service contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.